Red As Blood, White As Snow
by Ace 0f Spades
Summary: High school AU. Matthew Williams is depressed gay teen. Gilbert is a popular German exchange student. When the two meet, what will happen? Warnings: Emo!Canada, language, violence, self harm, boyxboy. Rating may change as the story goes on. Second fanfic, reviews are greatly appreciated!
1. Chapter 1: Intro

**A/N: Alright, so I suddenly just got this idea to write this. I don't have mental problems or anything, this story just kinda came to me at random.**

**Okay, so in this story, Matthew and Gilbert are both 16. The story is set in Canada. Second fanfic, reviews are appreciated. Be nice please! :)**

**Warnings!: Emo!Canada, language, self harm, violence, boyxboy. Read at your own risk!**

***Disclaimer: I do no own Hetalia or any of its characters.**

* * *

The sharp blade slices cleanly through my forearm. A flash of pain follows. It hurts, but I am satisfied. I almost smile. The key word here being _almost_.

I can't even remember the last time I genuinely smiled.

I slash again. Another thin line of crimson red appears.

I repeat the process a few more times, finishing up the nightly ritual. I then wipe the blood off of my knife with a tissue. I take a long look at the pocket knife in my left hand. It was a Christmas gift from my dad, which I received 9 years ago. "_Merry Christmas, son. Love you!"_ I remember hearing from him. Mom and Alfred were there too. Good times. But that was then and this is now.

_Then _being before the incident.

Around four years following that Christmas, I met a guy at school named Francis. He had the most beautiful blond hair and bright blue eyes. We started talking, and I discovered we had a lot in common. We slowly began to fall in love, as time went on. I was a little surprised, as he was one of the most popular guys in my school. We eventually ended up dating. We kept it a secret; I had just come to terms with the fact that I was gay and wasn't too keen on telling anyone. Except for him. He claimed he was bisexual, so he understood. Although we only went on a couple actual dates, he would manage to send me little texts and kiss me when no one was around. Such a happy time. It was incredible. _He _was incredible, like a prince out of a children's fairytale book.

Of course, fairytales are only fantasy, and all have to end at some point.

Francis was a liar. Oh, he was good. Two months after we started dating, I came to school that morning only to hear shouts of "_Queer!_" and "_Gay fag!" _I looked to Francis hoping to find a safe haven from the madness. He responded by punching me in the face (I had one heck of a black eye the next day!) and leaning in, whispering, "_I never loved you."_ Since then, I have been relentlessly bullied.

The bullying eventually got so bad, the school had to call my parents about it. That's when the drinking, the fighting, the bringing of other women home began. Alfred never got involved, good brother he was. After a while, Mom moved out, taking Alfred with her.

My school life is hell now. I walk to school instead of taking the bus, not really wanting to get beaten up. I have absolutely no friends to speak of. At home, I try to avoid my dad as much as I can. He calls me a disappointment, a pathetic excuse for a son. He never really gets involved in anything in my life these days. Mom never even calls anymore, so I assume she feels the same.

Cutting is my only outlet. It reminds me that I'm still..._alive. _The pain is real. Pain is about the only thing I feel these days, other than never ending depression.

I wipe some of the excess blood off of my cuts with a few more tissues. I stuff the tissues and knife in my pocket, and proceed bandage my arm. I then decide to just go to bed. I'll just take a shower in the morning.

I quickly walk down the hall, hoping my dad didn't see me from his seat at the kitchen table downstairs, and into my room, gently closing the door. I sit down on my bed and tightly hug my stuffed polar bear, Kumajiro. He's my only friend; he's only a stuffed animal, but he makes me feel just a little loved. I received him from Mom when I was three years old. He was, and is, the only source of comfort I have.

I crawl under the sheets, not bothering to change into my red maple leaf pajamas, and turn off my bedside table lamp. I slowly drift off into dreamland, hoping tomorrow will be better than today.

Of course, a better tomorrow is highly unlikely. But acting like one will come makes me feel better.

Only a little, though.

* * *

**A/N: Hopefully chapter 2 will be up soon. I haven't decided whether to introduce Gilbert in chapter 2 or 3. Hmmmm... **

**Stay tuned for next chapter!**


	2. Chapter 2: Chance Encounter

**A/N: Second chapter! Reviews are appreciated! :)  
**

**Warnings!: Emo!Canada, self harm, bullying, some strong language, violence, boyxboy.**

***Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia or any of its characters.**

** I do not own Paramore. (Is that how you would put that? Haha, I think you know what I mean.)**

* * *

_Beep_

_Beep_

_Beep_

_Beep_

_Bee-_

I silence my digital alarm clock and sit up in my bed. I sigh. I didn't sleep well last night. I remember having a really screwed up dream about my father deciding to kick me out of the house. I couldn't find anywhere to live, so I ended up homeless. I sat on street corners, begging for money, but people threw things at me; trash, rocks, etc. One guy ripped off his _penis _and threw it at me (Hey, it's a _dream, _don't judge me!). The sickest part of the whole thing was when it started talking to me. _In Francis' voice. _

_"I never loved you." _

Ha! No need to remind me of _that._

I glance at the clock. _7:02 am._ I sigh yet again. Time to start getting ready for school.

I walk to the bathroom, do my business, brush my teeth, and take a quick shower. I look at my attire for the day, which I picked out the night before; a _Paramore _t-shirt, a red hoodie, black skinny jeans, and black converse. I put the clothes on, carefully making sure my cuts are well-hidden.

I run downstairs and quickly grab my old, torn up backpack and head out the door. I notice Dad's car is missing from the driveway; he must be at work already. I consider myself lucky. Some mornings, when he's still at the house, I receive a "Get out of here, you little bitch" as a good morning.

I start walking to school. Fortunately I don't run into anyone I know. In fact, I don't run into anyone at all. I rarely do, except on one occasion around a year ago where I ended up the target of a few preppy girls from my school. As far as I know, one of them moved away and the other two have started riding the bus.

I'm just approaching the school. A few people stare, some laugh, some glare and walk away. I look down and hurriedly keep on walking. I enter the school. As I walk down the hallway to my first period, biology, I hear people snickering. I hear people shouting things.

"Hey kid, stop gaying up the world!"

"Faggot!"

"Queer!"

"Why don't you just die already?!"

_Just keep walking, _I think. _Ignore them, just keep walking._

A paper ball hits me on the back of the head, making me turn around. I see Francis standing there with a few other boys, all of whom are laughing.

"Hey, Matthew! Do I make you hard?!" Francis shouts across the hall. People burst out laughing, some crumple up more paper and throw it at me, some shout more things at me.

My face turns red with embarrassment. I rush into my classroom, avoiding the hateful world outside as best as I can.

* * *

After biology, I have gym, then lunch, then art, then German. My grades aren't the best, but that's to be expected; I have my ipod in for all of biology (no one notices me, thank God), and my art skills are the same as my athletic skills. Lousy. I currently have an F in biology, an A in gym (points for effort) a C in art, and a D in German. My dad doesn't really give a crap about my grades, as far as I can tell.

End of the day announcements are made, and the last bell rings shortly afterwards. I rush out of the classroom, hoping to avoid Francis and his buddies. I don't even notice when someone is standing in front of me, and end up bumping into them.

I timidly look up at the person. That one look took my breath away completely.

Eyes as red as blood, hair as white as snow, pale skin.

He is _beautiful_.

My violet eyes meet his deep, blood red ones for a brief moment.

"S-sorry," I stutter, walking away, heart beating a mile a minute.

* * *

My first thought when I see a group of guys walking behind me on my way home is that they happen to live in the same neighborhood as me. But they start speeding up, laughing and joking. I proceed to speed up as well.

"Hey Williams!"

_Don't turn around, just keep walking._

"Look at me when I'm talking to you, you gay little shit!"

_Run. Get away._

I start running. Of course they decide to do the same. I switch to sprinting. They speed up some more.

They catch up. One of them (their leader? I don't really know) grabs me by the front of my hoodie. "I said look at me! Look me in the eye!"

I shake my head in refusal. I wonder if I still have a chance at getting away...

"_Look me in the eye, motherfucker!"_

I refuse once more, earning me a kick in the stomach. I fall on the sidewalk. Punches and kicks begin raining down on me from all sides. My body burns with the pain. I'm pretty sure my lip is busted; I think I taste blood. I feel a few tears run down my face. I'm so pathetic. I try to focus on ignoring that awful, painful feeling. I can't see a lot anymore; my glasses just fell off. My head starts throbbing, contributing to the pain. The sun is too bright, making it hurt even more. It's really noisy; everything sounds really loud.

_Please, just let me die right here. Let it be over already. Please!_

Then it gets eerily silent. I hear footsteps approaching.

_Step_

_Step_

_Step_

_Step_

_Step_

And then a scream; but not from me.

I see a couple guys get thrown on the ground, through my somewhat blurry vision. More screams. One gets kicked in the head and runs away. The rest scatter. I see a tall figure standing there. They kneel down and hand me my glasses, which are, surprisingly, unbroken. My head is throbbing really badly now, and I'm unable to focus on almost anything else. But I manage to register a few things about my savior. Snow white hair, pale skin, and...

Those eyes.

Those _beautiful, captivating red eyes._

Wait. Is he the same guy from earlier?

Yes, he has to be. You can't just forget about someone who took your breath away.

"Hey, you all right?" the albino boy asks, frowning concernedly. I can make out a German accent.

I hurt too much to be able to form words, but I nod to ease his worries a little.

I don't think I succeed in it, however.

"You _sure _you're all right? You look like shit."

I nod again and try to stand up. I'm kinda off balance and start to sway a little.

"Woah, man, be careful," he says, allowing me to lean on him for support. I'm torn from being terrified by his touch or nervous about the close contact.

"Come on. I think we both need to get out of the sun."

* * *

**A/N: Stay tuned for the next chapter! Again, this is my second fanfic, so reviews are appreciated!  
**


	3. Chapter 3: You Look Down To No One

**A/N: Third chapter is up! Reviews are appreciated! **

**I stayed up 'til almost 1am working on this one. So tired now...  
**

**Warnings!: Emo!Canada, self harm, bullying, some strong language, violence, boyxboy.**

***Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia or any of its characters.**

* * *

I walk clumsily into a nice little white house with the albino. It's a pretty house; the floor is mostly covered with soft, gray carpeting, the walls are white, there are a few potted plants on the windowsill. The windows are all covered by white curtains, helping to block out a little of the bright sun. Being an albino, they are probably there to help protect his easily damaged skin. There is a darker gray couch sitting near the middle of the room, with a TV sitting in front of it. There is a flight of stairs to my left, I think. I'm a little dizzy right now, so it's kind of hard to tell my right from my left.

"We should go upstairs. I don't know how my parents would react if they saw you in your condition sitting on the couch; probably freak out and call an ambulance," he said, apparently trying to lighten the mood.

We walk up the stairs and enter what I presume to be his room. There are clothes strewn everywhere. The walls are white, and I notice a poster featuring Haley Williams (Sweet, we like the same music!) near the door, along with the Prussian flag. There is a comfortable looking bed in the corner, covered by a black blanket. By the bed there is a small window with curtains pulled over it. Under the window, there is a bedside table with a lamp and a few other things sitting on it. There is a pretty nice black loveseat to the other side of the window.

The boy motions for me to sit down. I carefully lower myself onto the loveseat, not wanting to injure myself further.

"I'll be right back," he says. "I'm going to get my first-aid kit." He stands up and through the door. He returns a few minutes later with his medical supplies.

He rolls up my left pants leg and applies some Neosporin to my badly scraped knee.

"So, your name's Matthew, right? Matthew Williams?"

I look up suddenly. I guess I drifted off into my own little world for a minute there.

"Y-yeah," I say a little awkwardly. I've never been good at small talk.

He chuckles. "Well, I'm the awesome Gilbert Beilschmidt! Good to meet you!"

I almost chuckle myself after hearing him call himself awesome. I would kill to have even _ten percent _of the confidence he appears to have.

"How old are you, Matthew?"

"16," I answer.

"Cool, same here! So you're in my grade at school then!"

"Well, yeah," I say. I'm a little confused. Does he not know the kind of things people say about me?

We stay silent for a few minutes while he works.

"Hey, about those guys earlier...," he says quietly.

_Here it comes. The part where he calls me a "gay faggot" and throws me out._

"...What was their problem? I mean, you know, what makes them think _they _have a right to judge _you_ because of your sexual orientation?"

My eyes widen a little in shock.

"Look at me," he says. I look straight into his eyes.

"Listen, Matthew. Don't let people like those guys push you around."

His gaze intensifies.

"_You look down to no one. _Remember that," he says firmly.

I begin to ponder his statement.

He finishes up my legs and moves to examine my arms.

"No!" I scream.

He looks a little confused.

"I-I-I mean, my arms feel fine! See," I say as I wave them around, "no broken bones!"

He frowns. "I really think I should check..." He rolls my sleeves up.

I close my eyes and prepare for the ridicule. _This kid cuts! Look at his dumb scars! Emo freak!_

A minute of silence. You could practically cut the tension in the air with a knife.

"...How long have you been doing this to yourself?" he asks, his voice barely above a whisper.

I feel tears prick my eyes, then run down my cheeks.

He must know I don't want to answer the question, so he doesn't pry anymore. He hands me a tissue. I wipe my eyes.

A few minutes of silence follows.

"Would you take off your hoodie and your shirt for a minute?" he asks. "I just wanna check on the rest of you."

I comply, though a little nervous about a hot guy looking over my half naked body.

I look at myself. I'm covered in nasty bruises, with a few scrapes here and there. I assume my back looks similar. I still hurt most everywhere, but I don't complain.

Gilbert sucks in a breath and gets to work repairing my injuries.

"They really fucked you up, Mattie," he says.

Mattie? He really feels the need to give me a nickname? We've known each other for less than a day!

"Well, I kind of figured that," I say.

He smiles a bit. I think he's glad to hear me talking after being so quiet directly following the beating.

"You're from Germany, aren't you Gilbert?" I ask, trying to make conversation.

"Yeah," he says, smiling even more. I look at his face. He has a rather distant look in his eyes. I wonder what he could possibly be thinking...

"Hm?" he asks. "What is it, Mattie?"

I snap back to reality. "Nothing," I say hastily. "So...how do you like Canada?"

He laughs. "It's pretty nice! I do get homesick sometimes, but it's nothing I can't handle. Although, my _bruder_ stayed behind..." His voice trails off into oblivion.

I feel bad for him. I kind of know what it's like to be away from a brother. I'm not ready to tell him that yet, though.

"I'm sorry," I eventually say.

"It's all right," he answers gently.

He finishes up and allows me to pull my clothes back on. He then proceeds to gently press on my nose, to make sure it's not broken.

"Does this hurt?" he asks.

I shake my head.

He gently runs his thumb over my busted lower lip. My face flushes a deep scarlet color.

He laughs softly and pulls his hand back.

"Hey Gilbert?"

"Hm?"

"Thank you so much. I could've died if you hadn't come back there," I say gratefully.

"_Ja, _no prob," he says.

I get up and turn to leave.

"Will you be at school tomorrow Mattie?"

"Yeah."

"Do you walk to and from school?"

"Yeah," I reply. I have no idea where he's going with this.

"Well, do you live on this street?"

"Yeah." _Really, Matthew? All you can say is "yeah"?_

"Uh...," he says a little nervously, "Do you want me to walk with you to school? Make sure those guys don't show up again?"

I'm a little stunned. No one's _ever _offered anything like that to me before.

I clear my throat. "I-If you want," I say.

He grins brightly.

"Awesome!"

I smile a little. I mean I _actually smile_ for the first time in a long time.

"Well, see you tomorrow then," I say.

"See ya Mattie," he says.

I softly close the door behind me as I leave, and smile once more.

For once, I can't wait for tomorrow to come.

* * *

**A/N: Stay tuned for the next chapter!**


	4. Chapter 4: Unexpected Surprise

**A/N: Fourth chapter! Reviews are appreciated!**

**Okay, sorry this wasn't up sooner. I was out of school for a few days so I had a _ton _of stuff to make up, along with completing two projects and having a biology test today. **

**Oh well, it's up now!**

**Warnings!: Emo!Canada, language, violence, self harm, boyxboy. Read at your own risk!**

***Disclaimer: I do no own Hetalia or any of its characters.**

**I do not own Imagine Dragons.**

* * *

I walk to school this morning only to find Gilbert bursting out the front door of his house, panting. His hair is somewhat disheveled and his jacket is only halfway on. So he offers to walk with me to school and nearly shows up late? Smooth. I don't complain, though; at least he showed up.

He smiles wholeheartedly, a little short of breath.

"Mornin', Mattie," he says, greeting me.

"Hey," I reply. "You in a rush?"

"Haha, sorry! I was worried I was gonna be late, and when I saw you almost over here, I was like, oh shit!"

I smile. We start walking.

"So, what classes are you taking, Mattie?"

"Biology, then gym, then after lunch I have art and German," I say.

"You must be in a different biology class then me, then," he says back, a little disappointed.

Things get quiet for a while. I don't really have anything to say, and he appears to be thinking. I feel it's best not to interrupt him, anyway. Even if I _could _think of something to say, he looks so serene right now; I'd just keep it to myself.

We come towards the school. I hear many of the remarks I hear daily as Gilbert and I enter the building. I then hear some I haven't heard before.

"Quit brainwashing the guy with you queerness!"

"Yeah, Gil, get away from him! It'll rub off on you!"

"Gilbert, why are you hanging out with a fag like him?"

I look down. Gilbert looks serious now. He puts a hand on my shoulder and squeezes it firmly.

"Pick your head back up, Mattie. Remember, you look down to no one," he says, just loudly enough for me to hear.

I'm hesitant to do as he says.

"Come on. You'll be fine."

Shaking fearfully, I slowly lift my head up. My eyes are moist.

Thankfully, I don't run into Francis.

Gilbert and I stand at the door of my classroom. I take off my glasses and wipe my eyes with my sleeve.

Gilbert looks at me thoughtfully.

"You okay?" he asks, voice full of concern.

I nod.

"Yeah," I answer in a trembling voice. "What about you? Won't you be late?" After all, the only other biology class was all the way on the other side of the building.

"Don't worry, the awesome me has it covered!" he says grinning.

"All right. Thanks, Gilbert," I say.

"No prob."

I on my sleeves and tuck my hands under them. "Well, I should probably go to class now."

"'Kay. See you, Mattie!" he says.

I notice that, as I walk into the classroom, he stands at the door, watching me, making sure I'm safe.

* * *

I don't see Gilbert again until the next morning at school.

"Hey, Gilbert," I say. "Where were you yesterday?"

"Oh, yeah. I was at the dentist's. I was so bored!"

I laugh softly and enter my biology class, only to find Gilbert walking right behind me.

I look at him over my shoulder. "Shouldn't you be going to you class?"

He laughs. "I _am. _I switched to your class!"

My eyes widen in shock.

"And guess what? I switched another class so I could be in your lunch period too!"

"Why?" I ask

"Well, I want to be there to protect you, should anything ever happen again.

I am positive something will indeed happen.

"Thank you Gilbert."

He smiles.

Our teacher walks in. He is a thin, short man who looks to be around 45 years old. He sits down at his desk and adjusts his glasses.

"Ah," he says, "You're the young man who just transferred to this class today. You're name is Gilbert Beilschmidt, am I right?"

"Yeah."

"Well, Gilbert, you can just sit down wherever there's an empty space at a lad table."

There are quite a few empty spots. He comes over and sits by me, joining me in the back of the room. A few girls at the front sigh. Some scowl at me and turn back to look at the teacher as class begins.

I immediately turn my ipod on and slip my earphones into my ears. I go through my music, eventually deciding to listen to my entire _Imagine Dragons_ playlist. Gilbert sits by me, looking bored for a minute, then gently tugs one of my earphones out of my left ear and places it in his own ear.

"Catchy," he says.

"Yeah, they're really good," I answer.

Twenty minutes into the lesson, I find Gilbert asleep, head resting on his hand.

He looks really peaceful. His white hair looks really soft, I realize. I could just...just touch it...

He opens his eyes. I jerk my hand away, hoping he didn't notice.

He doesn't, fortunately. I think he's still half asleep.

But for all I know, he could just be pretending for my benefit.

* * *

I sit with Gilbert at lunch in the library. I never sit in the cafeteria; that place is a war zone, and I just so happen to be the main target. Most of the other people who sit in the library are the types to just mind their own business.

We talk about anything and everything under the sun. Lunch goes by quickly, as does the rest of the day.

I notice that no one says anything about me today. I think I'm just lucky, but Gilbert says his awesomeness is just to much for them to handle.

When we arrive at his house, he asks me something.

"Hey, Mattie? Would your parents mind if you stayed over here for the night?"

"Okay, two things. One, I only have one parent. Two, he doesn't give a crap about what I do."

Gilbert frowns.

"To be quite honest, he'd probably be a thousand times happier if I was gone," I whisper.

"Mattie...that's horrible."

I nod solemnly.

"I can't imagine my parents acting like that. I'm so sorry."

My eyes drift towards my feet.

"So, I guess that means you can stay the night then?" he asks.

I smile. "I guess I can."

* * *

**A/N: Stay tuned for the next chapter! Reviews are appreciated!**


	5. Chapter 5: Tarzan and Jane

**A/N:** **Okay, so first off, I apologize for making you guys wait for so long for this chapter. I've been busy with school, learning two instruments, and some other stuff. Not to mention writer's block, which really sucks. Excuses, excuses. Don't hit me! XD**

**Anyway, thank you all for being so patient with me I'm sorry this chapter isn't as long as the other ones so far; I might come back and add some stuff into this chapter later. **

**Thanks to all those who have reviewed so far, I greatly appreciate it! Reviews are always appreciated! **

***Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia or any of its characters.**

**I do not own Tarzan or any of its characters.**

* * *

"You wanna watch a movie, Mattie?" Gilbert asks.

"Sure."

After walking into Gilbert's house and briefly greeting his parents, we went in his room. I now sit on his bed, watching him hook up his new flat screen TV. Apparently he somehow found the money to order one and it just arrived today.

After fumbling around with the cords a bit, he manages to get it hooked up. He then walks over to his closet and pulls out a DVD player and a decent sized cardboard box.

"Anything in particular you wanna see?" he asks as he hooks his DVD player up.

"Whatever you'd like to watch is fine with me," I reply.

He opens up the box and digs around in it for a bit. "How about Tarzan?"

I smile, remembering this good ol' Disney classic from my childhood.

"Okay," I reply.

He grins and holds up the DVD case. "This is my childhood in a box right here!"

I chuckle. "I remember it too."

He puts the DVD in the DVD player.

We skip the ads before the movie and press play. I make myself comfortable on his bed, and he does the same.

_We're so close together, _I think, blushing. I look over at Gilbert. He's pretty absorbed in the movie.

I turn my attention back to the TV screen and continue watching the movie.

"Gil, do people ever make fun of you for being an albino?" I randomly decide to ask.

"Hm?" he says, looking at me.

"I-I mean, you don't have to answer if you don't want-"

"No, it's okay," he says, grinning. "Back in Germany, people used to say I was creepy and strange and stuff like that. I remember being either called a freak or a demon at least every other day. I got beat up every now and then. I thought I was so ugly. I...actually kinda hated my self for a while there. But some people accepted me, though. One girl saved me from killing myself in 6th grade. Oh, Elizabeta. Man, she was fantastic..." his voice trails off.

_She? _"She?"

He doesn't respond, a blank look on his face.

"Gil?"

He snaps back to reality.

"Sorry, Mattie," he says.

"It's all right," I reply.

He clears his throat.

"Anyway, so I learned to live with it, and wound up loving myself. I mean, think about it, how can anyone _not _like an awesome guy like me?"

I smile.

His gaze intensifies. "That's why I helped you that day. I didn't want you to feel like I did then. No one should have to deal with that."

I nod. Gilbert laughs a little awkwardly.

As the movie goes on, we get to the part where Tarzan and Jane are swinging on the vines. This scene has always been romantic to me, but sitting here with Gil, I can really see how amazing it actually is.

I look up at him, only to find him staring at me intently.

From watching a lot of cheesy romance movies, I know where this leads.

He leans in. I lean in.

And, of course a door opens. We jerk away from each other right as his mom enters the bedroom.

"Hey, kids! I just came to see if you needed anything," she says.

We both shake our heads.

"Okay, just checking! If you need anything, all you have to do is ask!"

She exits the room.

"Phew," he says.

I sit there in stunned silence, wondering how that almost happened.

A wide grin spreads across his face.

"Did I mention I was bisexual?"

* * *

**A/N: Cliffhanger! Will this turn out just like it did with Francis or is he serious? Stay tuned for the next chapter!  
**


	6. Chapter 6: Francis

**A/N:** **Again, sorry for the wait. My mouth hurts from getting my wisdom teeth removed (I know I'm just asking for sympathy hahaha XD). I really _should _be working on my summer English project...eh, my mouth hurts, I have a legit reason not to be working on it XD **

**But I really am sorry for making you guys wait. The updates will probably come slowly because of school and stuff, so don't give up on me!**

**Thank you for all the reviews I have gotten so far, you don't know how much they mean to me! As always, reviews are appreciated! If you haven't reviewed...well, you should; it might make my mouth a bit less sore? X)**

***Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia or any of its characters.**

* * *

Around a week has passed since our almost-kiss. Things haven't really changed much. I am still surprised to learn about Gilbert's sexuality. He never came across as being anything other than totally straight to me. It almost feels like a dream.

_Just like Francis._

I shake my head and push the awful thought out of my mind. They are two totally different people, why should I be worried?

Right now, it is the end of second period, which for me is gym. We played football today, which I absolutely suck at; I recall that Alfred enjoyed it very much when we were younger. I can't help but wonder if he joined his new school's football team, assuming whatever school he went to after he and Mom left has one.

Anyway, Francis and his cronies seem even more hostile than usual today. Francis made sure he and I had lots of physical contact. I got shoved around quite a bit by every single one of them. Gilbert did what he could to protect me, but his icy glares weren't enough to stop them. When we went back to the boys' locker room, I noticed Francis kept looking at me.

"Hey, Mattie, you coming?"

I snap back to reality at the sound of Gilbert's voice.

"Yeah," I respond, following him.

We walk to the library, the place where we usually eat lunch. There is a sign on the door today.

We sigh in unison as we read it: "_Library closed for testing today."_

"Wanna eat outside?" Gilbert asks.

"'Kay," I say with a small smile. "I forgot to bring a drink today, so I have to go get something from the cafeteria real quick."

"You want my juice box?"

"No, that's okay. You want anything while I'm there?"

"No thanks, Mattie. I'll be waiting right outside the cafeteria, all right?" he says, grinning.

"Okay," I say, smiling back.

I walk down the hallway and into the crowded room. I notice people making faces at their food. It's kind of hilarious, actually. The food here sucks, so I usually pack my lunch. That used to be my mom's job, before she left. Dad has never offered to do it for me, so I started doing it myself. Fortunately for me, sandwiches aren't that hard to make.

I walk into the lunch line, quickly getting my milk and paying for it. I exit the line and start walking towards the door.

"You still like milk then, _Matthew?" _a voice behind me says. I feel something lick my ear, sending chills down my spine.

"What do you want, Francis?" I whisper, hands trembling a little.

"Oh nothing," he responds. He walks away, chuckling to himself.

I start to walk away again, puzzled.

I freeze in my tracks as I hear laughing.

"Oh my gosh, that's so creepy!"

"He only plays in gym for the physical contact, probably!"

I try to keep walking, but my legs won't move.

"And during football, this guy tries to grab my cock!"

My face turns bright red, the sound of Francis' voice once again reaching my ears. I know for a _fact _I never did that!

I turn around, seeing that Francis walking back towards me, along with a few of his friends. He swipes a carton of milk from one of them, a handsome Hispanic guy standing to his right. He is looking down at the floor, wavy hair covering his eyes.

Francis walks up to me, waving the milk in my face.

"Do you remember what we did, Matthew, while we were dating?" he asks, smirking.

My heart is beating really fast.

"I-I don't know what you're referring to..."

He laughs.

I still don't understand. We only went on a couple dates.

_What is he talking about?_

He stops laughing, then speaks loudly enough for everyone to hear.

"Didn't you used to enjoy _sucking something?"_

I realize what he is talking about, face burning with embarrassment. I swear, we never _ever _went that far. _Ever._

He laughs again.

"Perhaps, Matthew, this will refresh your memory?"

He opens the carton of milk and walks up to me.

I can't do anything. I am completely frozen in place as he pours the white liquid onto my head.

That really gets the crowd going. It becomes impossible to ignore the cruel laughter on all sides of me.

I feel like crying. Or throwing up. Or maybe both.

"Do you remember now, Matthew?" he asks, snickering.

I don't respond.

He leans in and whispers in my ear.

"_Faggot."_

His head rapidly jerks to the side, milk carton falling out of his hands. He lands on the floor.

I look up and see Gilbert jump on him and punch him in the face. Then again. And again. And again. I'm pretty sure I hear Francis' nose crack.

Francis shoves him off and swings his fist at him, missing. Gilbert smirks. He swings again, this time punching Gilbert's eye. He staggers a little from the impact. I back away, not wanting to get involved. Francis runs toward Gilbert. Gilbert takes this opportunity to trip him up. He lands on the floor again. Gilbert kicks him in the head. I see a tooth fly out of his mouth. His nose is bleeding. Francis gets up, swaying a little, and tackles Gilbert. I cringe as I hear the sound of Gilbert's nose breaking as well. He shoves Francis off and stands up, hair disheveled, nose bloody. He shoves Francis against a nearby table, sending those sitting there running off. There aren't many people sitting down now; I think most of them are standing, watching the fight. Francis gets up. Gilbert sends another punch his way, hitting him in the stomach. Francis retaliates, punching him in the jaw. Gilbert staggers backwards.

"Gil, don't, I'm not-" I start to say.

"Mattie...don't even say...you're not worth it..." he says, panting heavily.

He and Francis run towards each other. Gilbert grabs onto his shirt. Francis grabs his hair.

"Hey, you two let go of each other right now!"

I turn around and see an adult, some teacher I don't have, running towards us, along with the kids who ran away earlier. A couple more adults follow.

I turn back to Francis and Gilbert, who are still fighting. They have started rolling around on the floor, hitting each other with everything they've got.

Two of the adults run over and pull them off of each other. Gilbert tries to break away from the man's arms, as does Francis. The adults start dragging them away; I assume towards the principal's office.

One of the adults walks over to the now silent crowd of teenagers.

"Now," he asks calmly, "what exactly is going on here?"

Everyone looks over at me. I look down, blushing. I reach up to scratch my head and feel something sticky and wet in my hair.

_Oh yeah, I almost forgot about what Francis did earlier._

The adult walks over to me.

"You, come with me to the office."

I nod.

He starts to walk away, then looks back to make sure I'm following.

I follow after him obediently.

I can't help but wonder what's going to happen to Gilbert.

* * *

**A/N:** **That one took a while to write o_o I wonder who this handsome Hispanic guy is. **

**Stay tuned for the next chapter! **

**Once again, reviews are appreciated!  
**


	7. Chapter 7: Antonio

**A/N:** **Anyone want to guess who'll be introduced this chapter? Yes? No? Haha~**

**I will try to make the next update come as soon as possible~ :)**

**Thank you all for the reviews so far! I ****_literally _****almost cried reading some of them! Reviews are always greatly appreciated!**

***Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia or any of its characters.**

* * *

I sit in the principal's office with Gilbert and Francis. A teacher stands behind both of their chairs, prepared to pull them off of each other should they decide to start fighting again.

I turn my head as I hear the door open. The principal, named Mr. Samuels walks in; a thin, older man with brown hair, gradually turning gray over many years of working at the school.

He looks at me and sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"This issue again, Matthew?"

I nod, face bright red.

The principal walks over to his desk and sits down in front of the three of us.

"Thank you, Mr. Jarvis, Mr Anderson. You may go now. I can handle anything that happens here."

They nod and leave the room, closing the door behind them.

"Now, I have gathered from the looks of things," he says, nodding at Gilbert and Francis, "that the two of you have been fighting."

They remain silent.

"I'll take that as a yes. Now, you both know the rules. Fighting results in a minimum of three and a maximum of ten days of suspension from school. You did quite a bit of damage to each other, am I right?"

Gilbert smirks and looks over at Francis, the latter scowling.

Mr. Samuels sighs.

"I would like to hear the whole story from all three of you."

Both Gilbert and Francis start talking at light speed, voices gradually rising in volume in an attempt to make themselves heard. I remain silent.

Mr. Samuels raises a hand, signaling them to be quiet.

"One at a time, please."

He turns and looks at Francis.

"You may go first, then Gilbert, then Matthew."

They both tell their sides of the story, only stopping to answer the occasional question.

Mr. Samuels then turns to me, waiting for me to speak.

I manage to speak, somehow. My voice is shaking, and I hesitate a lot in between words, but the principal is patient with me.

After we have all shared our sides of the story, he speaks again.

"Hm, sounds like the fight was pretty intense."

Silence follows.

"After hearing this from you, boys, I have made my decision that you Gilbert, and you Francis, will be suspended from school for ten days, starting tomorrow."

_Today is Monday, so that would be a Tuesday. So they should be back on the Tuesday two weeks from now, _I think.

"You two are free to go. Don't bother going back to class, just head on home. Matthew, I would like you to stay for a few minutes so I can talk to you about something."

I nod.

"I'll be waiting right outside the office , all right?" Gilbert says softly.

I nod again.

Francis walks out of the office. Gilbert waits until he is out the front door of the school, then leaves.

Mr. Samuels looks at me. I squirm a bit in my seat.

"Matthew, I know we have done a poor job of controlling the bullying, and I am sorry," he says in a quiet voice.

I say nothing.

"I'm afraid there's not much we can do, but if you need to talk to someone, I'll be here to listen."

"'Kay," I respond. I appreciate the thought, but I have no intention of going to him about it. I don't really trust anyone, especially adults.

Gilbert being the only exception. How can you not trust someone who has saved your ass on more than one occasion?

"You may go now, Matthew. I imagine you would like to go home?"

I nod.

"Thank you, sir."

He smiles.

I exit the office. I see Gilbert sitting on a wooden bench directly outside it.

He stands up and walks over to me.

"Well, I won't be here for ten days. You'll be okay?"

I nod.

"Come on, lets walk over to my house."

"Okay," I say.

We start walking. We exit the building, only to hear someone rapidly approaching us.

"Wait!"

We stop and turn around. I see the Hispanic guy from earlier running towards us.

"Who?" Gilbert asks.

I shrug.

The Hispanic guy catches up to us and stops.

"Dios mio, you guys walk fast," he says, panting.

Gilbert and I exchange a look.

"What are you doing?" Gilbert asks, confused.

"Me? I'm ditching with my girlfriend!" he answers. "She'll deny it, but she loves me!"

I see a girl with long, brown hair walking towards us.

"Ah, here she is," he says, smiling.

The girl rolls her eyes.

"Anyway, I am Antonio, and this is my lovely girlfriend, Lovina~" he says, putting an arm around her affectionately, pulling her close to him.

She blushes.

"Sh-shut up bastard, I'm only doing this with you because it's better than being there..."

His smile fades away and he looks at us, green eyes suddenly serious.

"Anyway, I came to apologize for not doing anything to help you earlier. I talked to Francis as he was leaving, and it turns out we are no longer friends, if that makes you feel any better."

Gilbert's eyes narrow with suspicion.

"What did you say to him?"

"I basically told him what an asshole he was for doing that to you, Matthew. I don't think you'd like to hear the details, haha~"

Lovina looks down at her feet.

Antonio looks at her and holds her tighter.

"You know, you're not the only reason I decided to quit being his friend. He...he called my Lovina a slut, so that kind of set me off too..."

"You didn't have to tell them that!" she says, attempting to sound angry; instead, her voice came out as a soft, pathetic whimper.

"Sorry, mi tomate, but they have a right to know," he says, stroking her hair.

I look at them and think of how beautiful and pure their love seems. I look at Gilbert and see that he is looking at them; he then turns and looks at me. I blush and look away slightly. He laughs.

"Well," Gilbert says, "we're going now. I'll be out for ten days, so look after Mattie at school until I get back."

"Can do! See you tomorrow then, Matthew!" Antonio says, taking Lovina and walking away.

Gilbert and I begin walking once more, staying silent for a minute.

"Well, that was nice of them," he says with a smile.

I smile as well.

"Hey Mattie, will you come with me to the airport on Saturday? There's someone I want you to meet," he asks.

"Um, sure!" I reply. "Who is it?"

His smile grows bigger.

"My good friend, Elizabeta."

* * *

**A/N: Surprised? Confused? Other emotions? Haha~**

**Reviews are always appreciated, so you should review!**

**Stay tuned for the next chapter!**


End file.
